VOL. 23, NO. 1	SEPTEMBER 5, 1997

Earlier in summer, Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, right, was greeted on Low Plaza by Provost Jonathan R. Cole and SIPA Dean Lisa Anderson. Record Photo by Joe Pineiro.

he School of International and Public Affairs hosted several world leaders over the summer, including those conducting official talks between North and South Korea.

  In what perhaps generated the most news worldwide, Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto on June 23 spoke on U.S.-Japan relations in Low Rotunda. Library to an audience of influential financiers, scholars, statesmen and diplomats. In comments after his speech Hashimoto's suggestion that unstable currency markets might force his government to sell its vast U.S. Treasury holdings caused a 192-point drop in the U.S. stock market that was front-page news around the world.

  Visiting the U. S. following the historic NATO Summit in Madrid, NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana discussed the expansion of the alliance to include the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland in a speech July 29 at SIPA.

  On Aug. 5-7, the University was the host as North Korea sat down for the first time with South Korea and the U.S. and China to discuss arranging permanent peace talks to end the Korea War. Diplomats representing the four nations met privately in the Kellogg Conference Center in the International Affairs Building to discuss a time, place and agenda for formal negotiations to replace the armistice that halted fighting between the two Koreas in 1953.

  Also visiting campus over the summer was Justin Malawezi, Vice President of Malawi, who met June 23 with administrators of Columbia College, where he received his degree in 1967.

  See related article, Future of London Discussed at SIPA.